The use of cordless power tools has increased dramatically in recent years. Cordless power tools provide the ease of a power assisted tool with the convenience of cordless operation. Conventionally, cordless tools have been driven by Permanent Magnet (PM) brushed motors that receive DC power from a battery assembly or converted AC power. The motor associated with a cordless tool has a direct impact on many of the operating characteristics of the tool, such as output torque, time duration of operation between charges and durability of the tool. The torque output relates to the capability of the power tool to operate under greater loads without stalling. The time duration of the power tool operation is strongly affected by the energy efficiency of the motor. Since, during some operating modes cordless tools are powered by battery modules that contain a limited amount of energy, the greater the energy efficiency of the motor, the longer the time duration that the tool can be operated. The durability of a power tool is affected by many factors, including the type of motor that is used to convert electrical power into mechanical power.
Brushed motors such as the PM brushed motors that are generally employed in power tool applications are susceptible to damaged brushes over time. The main mechanical characteristic that separates Permanent Magnet brushless motors from Permanent Magnet brushed motors is the method of commutation. In a PM brushed motor, commutation is achieved mechanically via a commutator and a brush system. Whereas, in a brushless DC motor, commutation is achieved electronically by controlling the flow of current to the stator windings. A brushless DC motor includes a rotor for providing rotational energy and a stator for supplying a magnetic field that drives the rotor. Comprising the rotor is a shaft supported by a bearing set on each end and encircled by a permanent magnet (PM) that generates a magnetic field. The stator core mounts around the rotor maintaining an air-gap at all points except for the bearing set interface. Included in the air-gap are sets of stator windings that are typically connected in either a three-phase wye or Delta configuration. Each of the windings is oriented such that it lies parallel to the rotor shaft. Power devices such as MOSFETs are connected in series with each winding to enable power to be selectively applied. When power is applied to a winding, the resulting current in the winding generates a magnetic field that couples to the rotor. The magnetic field associated with the PM in the rotor assembly attempts to align itself with the stator generated magnetic field resulting in rotational movement of the rotor. A control circuit sequentially activates the individual stator coils so that the PM attached to the rotor continuously chases the advancing magnetic field generated by the stator windings. A set of sense magnets coupled to the PMs in the rotor assembly are sensed by a sensor, such as a Hall Effect sensor, to identify the current position of the rotor assembly. Proper timing of the commutation sequence is maintained by monitoring sensors mounted on the rotor shaft or detecting magnetic field peaks or nulls associated with the PM.
A brushless motor provides many advantages over conventional brushed motors. Conventional brushed motors are substantially less durable than brushless motors because of the wear and tear associated with the brushes. Also, since commutation is handled via a microcontroller, mechanical failures associated with the commutation are minimized and fail conditions are better managed and handled. Furthermore, brushed motors are less efficient than brushless motors due to the friction and the heat associated with the brushes and the commutator. However, using a controller to control tool operations that were conventionally handled mechanically presents its own challenges. For example, while power tools motors were conventionally braked mechanically as the tool was powered off or trigger was released by the user, electronically braking brushless motors via the controller may be problematic, especially because powering off the tool powers off the controller automatically. Further, synchronizing the rotation of the rotor with the sequential commutation managed by the controller may sometimes be challenging.